System and method for a collaborative peer to peer marketplace

ABSTRACT

The method, system, and computer-readable medium facilitates a peer to peer marketplace created and maintained by an insurance provider. The provider enables sharing of goods and services among policyholders. A listing including a listing category for a good or service to be offered in the peer to peer marketplace can be received. An insurance policy quote to cover a rental transaction of the good or service offered in the listing can be generated, and both the listing and quote can be stored in a data repository. Next, a search category can be received, and one or more listings can be determined to be pertinent based on the search category. The determined pertinent listings can be presented and the rental transaction can be received.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, to U.S.provisional patent application Ser. 61/920,613, entitled SYSTEM ANDMETHOD FOR COLLABORATIVE PEER TO PEER SHARING THROUGH AN INSURANCEPROVIDER, filed Dec. 24, 2013, the entire disclosure of which isincorporated herein in its entirety by reference thereto.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure relates to a system and method for a collaborative peermarketplace supported by an insurance provider.

BACKGROUND

The background description provided herein is for the purpose ofgenerally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of thepresently named inventors, to the extent it is described in thisbackground section, as well as aspects of the description that may nototherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neitherexpressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the presentdisclosure.

Big ticket items such as homes and specialty tools can be expensive anddifficult to afford under a typical ownership model, especially if theitem is used sparingly. To help finance ownership of such items, anowner may consider renting the item when it is not in use. Similarly, aperson may want to supplement their income by providing a specializedservice (tutoring, catering, etc.) for a cost. Currently, it may bedifficult to complete such transactions in a secure manner.

SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

One embodiment of the techniques of this disclosure is acomputer-implemented method for creating and maintaining a collaborativepeer to peer marketplace by an insurance provider. The method mayinclude receiving, via a computer network, a listing including a listingcategory for a good or service to be offered in the peer to peermarketplace. The method may further include generating an insurancepolicy quote to cover a rental transaction of the good or serviceoffered in the listing, wherein the insurance policy quote is generatedby analyzing data related to the good or service offered in the listing,and wherein the insurance policy quote is included in the listing. Themethod may include storing, in a database in the computer network, thelisting in a listing repository maintained by the insurance provider.Still further, the method may include receiving a search categoryrelated to the listing and determining one or more listings in thelisting repository are pertinent to the received search category. Themethod may include presenting, via a user interface on a client device,the one or more determined pertinent listings. The method may includereceiving the rental transaction of one or more of the determinedpertinent listings, wherein an insurance coverage of the rentaltransaction is provided by the insurance provider and the insurancecoverage is based on the generated insurance policy quote.

In other embodiments, a computer device may be implemented to create andmaintain a collaborative peer to peer marketplace by an insuranceprovider. The computer device may comprise one or more processors andone or more memories coupled to the one or more processors. The one ormore memories may include computer executable instructions storedtherein that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the oneor more processors to perform a plurality of functions. For example, theinstructions may cause the one or more processors to receive a listingincluding a listing category for a good or service to be offered in thepeer to peer marketplace. The instructions may further cause the one ormore processors to generate an insurance policy quote to cover a rentaltransaction of the good or service offered in the listing, wherein theinsurance policy quote is generated by analyzing data related to thegood or service offered in the listing, and wherein the insurance policyquote is included in the listing. The instructions may then cause theprocessors to store, in a database in the computer network, the listingin a listing repository maintained by the insurance provider. Stillfurther, the instructions may cause the processors to receive a searchcategory related to the listing and determining one or more listings inthe listing repository are pertinent to the received search category.The instructions may then cause a function to present, via a userinterface on a client device, the one or more determined pertinentlistings. The instructions may then cause the one or more processors toreceive the rental transaction of one or more of the determinedpertinent listings, wherein an insurance coverage of the rentaltransaction is provided by the insurance provider and the insurancecoverage is based on the generated insurance policy quote.

In still other embodiments, a tangible computer-readable medium mayinclude non-transitory computer readable instructions stored thereon tocreate and maintain a collaborative peer to peer marketplace by aninsurance provider. For example, the instructions may include receiving,via a computer network, a listing including a listing category for agood or service to be offered in the peer to peer marketplace. Theinstructions may further include generating an insurance policy quote tocover a rental transaction of the good or service offered in thelisting, wherein the insurance policy quote is generated by analyzingdata related to the good or service offered in the listing, and whereinthe insurance policy quote is included in the listing. The instructionsmay include storing, in a database in the computer network, the listingin a listing repository maintained by the insurance provider. Stillfurther, the instructions may include receiving a search categoryrelated to the listing and determining one or more listings in thelisting repository are pertinent to the received search category. Theinstructions may include presenting, via a user interface on a clientdevice, the one or more determined pertinent listings. The instructionsmay include receiving the rental transaction of one or more of thedetermined pertinent listings, wherein an insurance coverage of therental transaction is provided by the insurance provider and theinsurance coverage is based on the generated insurance policy quote.

The features and advantages described in this summary and the followingdetailed description are not all-inclusive. Many additional features andadvantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in viewof the drawings, specification, and claims hereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified and exemplary block diagram of a system forcreating and maintaining a collaborative peer to peer marketplace;

FIG. 2. is an exemplary architecture of a server of a system forcreating and maintaining a collaborative peer to peer marketplace;

FIG. 3a is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for creatinglistings for a collaborative peer to peer marketplace;

FIG. 3b is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for searchingand creating listings and completing rental transactions in acollaborative peer to peer marketplace;

FIG. 4 is an illustration of an example user interface displaying alisting for the collaborative peer to peer marketplace;

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of a computer to implement thevarious user interfaces, methods, functions, etc., for creating andmaintaining a collaborative peer to peer marketplace in accordance withthe described embodiments

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A collaborative peer to peer (P2P) marketplace would provide an onlinenetwork for users to do more with less by renting, lending, swapping,bartering, gifting and sharing products and services. In an embodimentdisclosed herein, the P2P marketplace may be created and maintained byan insurance provider for use by insured customers (policyholders). TheP2P marketplace would be a safe and trusted way for policyholders toexperiment with P2P sharing. The marketplace would be overseen by aninsurance provider with numerous services available including insurabletransactions.

Users of the P2P marketplace could create listings to offer numerousgoods and services to other users of the marketplace. The listings couldfall in a number of categories such as home share, exchange and skillshare. Users could also post wanted listings for goods and services thatare not locally available.

A peer to peer marketplace could be a valuable resource to manyinsurance customers, such as first time home buyers, youngprofessionals, and recent college graduates. The P2P marketplace couldprovide access to goods and services which are not easily available.Users may also benefit from the P2P marketplace by generating incomethrough renting, exchanging and sharing goods and services with otherpolicyholders. Because the network is created and maintained by aninsurance provider, the P2P marketplace would have the added benefit ofinsurable transactions, which in turn, would lead to lower cost forrenting.

FIG. 1 generally illustrates one embodiment for a system 100 to createand maintain a collaborative peer to peer marketplace. The system 100includes hardware and software applications, as well as various datacommunication channels for facilitating data communications between thevarious hardware and software components. The system 100 may includeclients 136, 138, 140, 142, 144 and 146 as front end components andbackend components 104 in communication with each other via acommunication link 106 (e.g., computer network, internet connection,etc.).

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a high-level architecture of acollaborative peer to peer marketplace system 100 including varioussoftware or computer-executable instructions and hardware components ormodules that may employ the software and instructions to create andmaintain a peer to peer marketplace. The various modules may beimplemented as computer-readable storage memories containingcomputer-readable instructions (i.e., software) for execution by aprocessor of the computer system 100. The modules may perform thevarious tasks associated with creating and maintaining listings for acollaborative peer to peer marketplace, as herein described. Thecomputer system 100 also includes both hardware and softwareapplications, as well as various data communications channels forcommunicating data between the various hardware and software components.

The client devices 136-146 may include, by way of example, a tabletcomputer 136, a cell phone 138, a personal digital assistant (PDA) 140,a mobile device smart-phone 142 also referred to herein as a “mobiledevice,” a laptop computer 144, a desktop computer 146, a portable mediaplayer (not shown), a wearable computing device (not shown), smartwatches, phablets, other smart devices, devices configured for wired orwireless RF (Radio Frequency) communication, etc. Of course, any clientdevice appropriately configured may interact with peer to peermarketplace system 100. The client devices 136-146 need not necessarilycommunicate with the network 106 via a wired connection. In someinstances, the client devices 136-146 may communicate with the network106 via wireless signals 150 and, in some instances, may communicatewith the network 106 via an intervening wireless and/or wired device148, which may be a wireless router, a wireless repeater, a basetransceiver station of a mobile telephone provider, etc.

Each of the client devices 136-146 may interact with the data system 116to receive web pages and/or server data from the server 120 and maydisplay the web pages and/or server data via a client application and/oran Internet browser (described below). For example, the mobile device142 may display a listing 119 a through a client application and/orthrough a web page to a user, may receive an input from the user, andmay interact with the data system 116. It will be appreciated thatalthough only one server 120 is depicted in FIG. 1, multiple servers 120may be provided for the purpose of distributing server load, servingdifferent web pages, etc. These multiple servers 120 may include a webserver, an entity-specific server (e.g. an Apple® server, etc.), aserver that is disposed in a retail and/or proprietary network, etc.

The P2P module 112 may create listings 119 a and cause the listings 119a to be stored in a listing repository 119. Generally, each listing 119a is a data structure defining a good or service to be exchanged in thepeer to peer marketplace and the data structure includes a plurality ofdata to be presented to the user. Generally, listings include variousdata (such as rental cost, category, location, etc.) which may bereceived through client devices 136-146 and through customer data 118 aand other data 118 b.

The client may contain a GUI 110 which may communicate with the system116 through the network 106 or other type of suitable network (localarea network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide areanetwork (WAN), a mobile, a wired or wireless network, a private network,a virtual private network, etc.). The digital network 106 may be aproprietary network, a secure public Internet, a virtual private networkand/or some other type of network, such as dedicated access lines, plainordinary telephone lines, satellite links, combinations of these, etc.Where the digital network 106 comprises the Internet, data communicationmay take place over the digital network 106 via an Internetcommunication protocol.

A system server 120 may send and receive information and data 118 a, 118b, 119 for the system 100 such as computer-executable instructions anddata associated with applications executing on the clients 136-146(e.g., the P2P module 112). The applications executing within the system100 may include cloud-based applications, web-based interfaces to thedata system 116, software applications executing on the clients, orapplications including instructions that are executed and/or storedwithin any component of the system 100. The applications, GUI 110,browser, and module 112 may be stored in various locations includingseparate repositories and physical locations.

In some embodiments, the data system 116 in general and the server 120in particular may include computer-executable instructions 122 storedwithin a memory 124 of the server 120 and executed using a processor126. The instructions 122 may instantiate a P2P module 112 or sendinstructions to the clients 136-146 to instantiate a GUI 110 for thetool 112 using a web browser application of a client. In someembodiments, the browser application, GUI 110, P2P module 112, andelements of the data system 116 may be implemented at least partially onthe server 120 or clients 136-146. The data system 116 and processor 126may execute instructions 122 to display the GUI 110 including the data118 a, 118 b, 119 within a display of the clients 136-146 or server 120(not shown). For simplicity, only one GUI 110 is provided in theexemplary system 100, although this is not intended to limit the numberand/or location of the GUI 110.

The P2P module 112 may include the functionality of a camera, or haveaccess to camera functionality of the client devices 136-146. Thus, themodule 112 may be able to take a digital photo or digital video of anitem to obtain data for creating listings. The module 112 may alsoreceive an image of an item from the memory of the client devices136-146.

The P2P module 112 may include various instructions for execution by aprocessor 126 to create and maintain listings 119 a. For example, themodule 112 may create listings 119 a by analyzing data obtained from animage of an item along with customer data 118 a, other data 118 b, anddata from the listing repository 119. Further, the P2P module 112 mayimplement optical character recognition (OCR) technology to obtain datafrom the image of an item.

The P2P module 112 may then present the one or more created listings 119a. In response to presenting the one or more created listings 119 a, themodule may receive an indication that one of the presented listings 119a is to be rented. If a listing is rented the P2P module 112 maycomplete the transaction and notify both users of a completedtransaction.

In an aspect, the module 112 may be a client application that may beimplemented as a series of machine-readable instructions for performingthe various tasks associated with implementing the collaborative peer topeer marketplace system 100 as well as receiving information, displayinginformation, and/or transmitting information between devices 136-146 andserver 120.

In various aspects, the module 112 may be implemented as a stand-alonesystem or as a system wherein the front-end components 136-146communicate with back-end components 104 as described herein.Additionally, the module 112 may include machine-readable instructionfor implementing a user interface to allow a user to input commands toand receive information from the collaborative peer to peer marketplacesystem 100 in accordance with the functionality supported by the module112.

The module 112 may be a native web browser, such as Apple's Safari®,Google Android™ mobile web browser, Microsoft Internet Explorer® forMobile, Opera Mobile™, that may be implemented as a series ofmachine-readable instructions for receiving, interpreting, anddisplaying web page information from the server 120 or other back-endcomponents 104 while also receiving inputs from the user. The module 112may include an embedded web browser that may be implemented as a seriesof machine-readable instructions for receiving, interpreting, anddisplaying web page information from the servers 120 or other back-endcomponents 104 within client devices 136-146.

In an aspect, module 112 may be an application that is installed ondevices 136-146. For example, the dynamic policy module 112 may bedownloaded and installed to device 142 by a user. In an aspect, module112 may include instructions for implementing a user interface to allowa user to input commands and/or respond to prompts. For example, modulemay allow a user to input customer data (name, address, etc.) or a userlogin, take and submit pictures of an item, input other informationregarding a good or service for a listing, receive rental transactions,etc.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a data server 120 includes a controller 230.The controller 230 includes a program memory 234, a microcontroller or amicroprocessor (μP) 240, a random-access memory (RAM) 242, and aninput/output (I/O) circuit 232, all of which are interconnected via anaddress/data bus 244. The program memory 234 may storecomputer-executable instructions, which may be executed by themicroprocessor 240. In some embodiments, the controller 230 may alsoinclude, or otherwise be communicatively connected to, a database 246 orother data storage mechanism (one or more hard disk drives, opticalstorage drives, solid state storage devices, etc.). The database 246 mayinclude data such as customer data, listings, etc. It should beappreciated that although FIG. 2 depicts only one microprocessor 240,the controller 230 may include multiple microprocessors 240. Similarly,the memory 234 of the controller 230 may include multiple RAMs 236 andmultiple program memories 238, 238A and 238B storing one or morecorresponding server application modules, according to the controller'sparticular configuration.

Although FIG. 2 depicts the I/O circuit 232 as a single block, the I/Ocircuit 232 may include a number of different types of I/O circuits (notdepicted), including but not limited to, additional load balancingequipment, firewalls, etc. The RAM(s) 236, 242 and the program memories238, 238A and 238B may be implemented in a known form of computerstorage media, including but not limited to, semiconductor memories,magnetically readable memories, and/or optically readable memories, forexample, but does not include transitory media such as carrier waves.

With reference to FIG. 3a , the system 100 described herein may beemployed in a method 300 to receive and create listings for the peer topeer marketplace. The method 300 (as well as method 350 discussed below)may include one or more functions or routines in the form ofnon-transitory computer-executable instructions that are stored in atangible computer-readable storage medium and executed using a processorof a computing device (e.g., the clients 136-146, the server 120, or anycombination of computing devices within the system 100). The routinesmay be included as part of any of the modules described in relation toFIG. 1 above, or FIG. 5 below, or as part of a module that is externalto the system illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 5. For example, the method 300may be part of a browser application or another application running onthe clients 136-146 as a plugin or other module of the browserapplication.

The method 300 may begin after the system 100 receives a customer login(Block 302). By logging in, the user may access a profile in thecustomer database 118 a, which can then be associated with any listingsthe user submits. In an embodiment, the system may receive a uniquelogin ID and password to access a customer profile. In anotherembodiment the user may implement a fingerprint scanner, an ID scanneror a magnetic swipe card to login to the system. In yet anotherembodiment, the user may implement a user interface of a client deviceto input user data into a profile if the customer does not exist in thedatabase 118 a. Customer data 118 a may also store a “star rating” ineach customer profile, which acts as a feedback score to rate previoustransactions.

Once a login is received and a profile is identified, any listingsreceived may be associated with the identified profile. In anembodiment, all profiles in the customer database 118 a are associatedwith customers (policyholders) of the insurance provider. In anotherembodiment, profiles in the database 118 a are associated to registeredusers which do not have to be customers of an insurance provider. Aprofile in the database 118 a may include demographic information toidentify a customer such as name, address, date of birth, socialsecurity number, etc.

After identifying a profile, the system may then receive a listingcategory (Block 304). A listing category identifies what type of good orservice the listing will relate to. Example categories include homeshare, exchange and skill share. Future embodiments are not limited bythe categories currently listed, and can be expanded or amended by theprovider of the peer to peer marketplace.

A home share may include sharing a home or other owned property such asan apartment, a mobile home, etc. Listings in the home share categorywould typically include details such as rental price, duration, addressand any other information that might be useful to a customer looking torent a home or dwelling. A rental transaction in the home share categorycould also include property insurance for the owner and rental insurancefor the renter. In an embodiment, the home share category may beexpanded to include a connected community category which would consistof communities offering affordable and prefabricated dwellings andshared living spaces.

Listings in the exchange category may include household goods to berented. For example, a user may want to generate income by renting apower tool that they are not currently using. This may also be an itemthat is beneficial for someone to rent because it may not be usedfrequently enough to require ownership. The P2P module 112 may offerinsurance coverage of rental transactions in the exchange category.Although these items may not typically be insured, the P2P module mayuse data from customer data 118 a, other data 118 b and listing datafrom the repository 119 to generate quotes for insuring such items.

The skill share category would include listings that relate to servicesavailable for rent. For example, a customer that is a chef may offercatering services. As with the exchange category, the module 112 may useavailable data to generate insurance quotes for transactions in thiscategory. Skill share listings may provide skilled workers an avenue tooffer their services in a insured transaction, while also offering thosein need a medium to safely employ a skilled person for a competitiveprice.

In an embodiment the system may receive the listing category through auser interface of a client device. The system may receive a textdescription of the category which the module 112 may use to identify thegood or service and subsequently a category. The system may also receivea photo or video of an item which the module 112 may use to identify acategory. In another embodiment the system may receive an audiodescription for the module 112 to decipher. In yet another embodimentthe system may receive a scan of a UPC, barcode or QR code for themodule 112 to read to determine an item and category.

Once a category has been identified, the system may analyze data in theuser data 118 a, other data 118 b and repository 119 to generatesuggested rental rates for an item to be presented to a user via aclient device (Block 306). A suggested rate may help a customer pricethe item in the listing. The module 112 may use any of the variousaccessible data to calculate a suggested rate. In an embodiment, themodule 112 may search for similar items in the repository 119 tocalculate a suggested rate. In another embodiment, the module 112 mayanalyze demographic data in the customer data 118 a to determine asuggested rate for the listing.

The system may then receive the completed listing (Block 308). Thecompleted listing may include the details necessary to facilitate arental transaction. In an embodiment, the module 112 may receive andprocess a photo, a video, or an audio file to extract information tocomplete a listing. For example, the module 112 may receive a photo of alawn mower and use the photo along with information gathered fromcustomer data 118 a, other data 118 b and the repository 119 to completea listing. In another embodiment, the module 112 may receive data inputthrough a user interface of a client device to receive data for acompleted listing. A completed listing is discussed in more detail belowin the example listing provided in FIG. 4.

After the information is received for a complete listing, the system maygenerate an insurance quote for the listing (Block 310). The module 112may analyze any relevant information in the complete listing andcustomer data 118 a, other data 118 b and repository data 119 whencalculating an insurance quote to cover the rental transaction for theservice or good in the listing. In an embodiment, the P2P module 112 maygenerate two insurance quotes for a listing, one for the owner and onefor the renter. In another embodiment, the module 112 may generate aninsurance quote that may be deducted from the amount of money that theowner receives from a rental transaction.

In an embodiment, the module 112 may generate insurance quotes withvariable coverage that depends on the good or service in the listing.The module 112 may generate the coverage based on the good or service tobe insured in the listing (including variables such as deductible, totalcoverage, etc.). In another embodiment, the coverage of the generatedquote may be edited by the owner. In turn, the module 112 will calculatea new quote based on the coverage selected by the owner.

The system may then store the completed listing, including a quote forinsuring the transaction (Block 312). The completed listing 119 a may bestored in the data repository 119.

The collaborative peer to peer marketplace system 100 may further bedeployed in the method 350 of FIG. 3b . The method 350 may begin byreceiving a login (Block 352). The login process may be similar to thelogin discussed above with respect to Block 302 of method 300.

Once a login is received, the system may then receive a search category(Block 354). The search category may be received by any means describedabove with respect to receiving a listing category in Block 304 ormethod 300. The system may use the received search category along withany necessary information from the customer data 118 a associated withthe received login to determine if any pertinent listings 119 a arecurrently in the repository 119 (Block 356).

The module 112 may determine if a listing is pertinent based on thecustomer data 118 a and the received search category. For example, thecustomer data 118 a includes demographic information, such as location,that the module 112 uses to determine if a listing is pertinent. If agood or service is located at a distance that is determined to be toofar from the location in the customer data 118 a, then the listingcannot be considered pertinent. The module 112 can employ the searchcategory in a similar manner to determine listing pertinence.

If the system determines that there are no pertinent listings in therepository, the system may then create a wanted listing (Block 358). Awanted listing may be created in a manner similar to creating a listingdescribed above in Blocks 308-312. A wanted listing can yield acompleted rental transaction much like a listing, however the differenceis that in a wanted listing an owner must agree to provide the good orservice as required by the renter in the wanted listing.

If the system determines that there are pertinent listings in therepository, the system may return the pertinent listings (Block 360).The system may employ the module 112 to present the listings 119 a via auser interface of a client device. A user of the system may then employthe client device to browse the pertinent listings and determine if theywould like to complete a rental transaction for the goods or services inany of the listings. If a user is not satisfied with the returnedpertinent listings, the user may create a wanted listing as describedabove.

The system may then complete a rental transaction (Block 362). Thecompleted transaction is insured by the insurance provider whichmaintains the collaborative peer to peer marketplace. The module 112 maygenerate an email or other message to contact both the owner and renterupon receiving a rental transaction. A complete transaction may be abinding contract with terms and conditions as provided in the listings.An owner is obligated to provide the good or service from the listing tothe renter until the rental transaction is complete. Similarly, a renteris obligated to complete payment for the good or service as stipulatedin the listing.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of an exemplary interface 400 displaying alisting 119 a for the collaborative peer to peer marketplace. Thelisting 119 a may include features such as a username 401 including astar rating associated with the username. Depending on the embodiment,the username 401 may be a user's real name or a username created for thepeer to peer marketplace. The star rating 402 is associated with theusername 401 and both can be accessed by the login as described above.The username 401 and star rating 402 may be stored in the customer data118 a.

The listing 119 a can also include a category 403 as discussed above. Inan embodiment the category 403 can be one of a home share, an exchangeor a skill share. In other embodiments more of fewer categories 403 canbe implemented. A subcategory 404 can also be included in a listing. Inthe example listing 119 a of the interface 400, the subcategory is atool.

The listing 119 a may also include the name of the item 405. The item405 can be a general name given to a produce, or a trademarked name fromthe manufacturer. A description 406, may also provide information forthe listing 119 a. The description 406 may describe terms and conditionsfor the rental. The description 406 may also provide details about theparticular good or service for rent in the listing 119 a.

The listing may also include media 407. The media can be a picture orvideo of the good or service offered for rent in the listing 119 a. Themedia can also include audio, if perhaps the good or service in thelisting 119 a is related to audio equipment, for example. The media canbe received by the P2P module 112 through input from the client devices136-146.

The listing 119 a may also include information necessary to complete arental transaction such as availability 408, rental cost 409, insurancecost 410 and location 411. Availability 408 can be a range of times anddates when the good or service is available for rent. The rental cost409 and insurance cost 410 is the amount a user must pay to rent thegood or service in the listing, and can be a daily, hourly, weekly ormonthly rate. The location 411 can indicate where the good or service ofthe listing is located and can be a determining factor in whether alisting is pertinent. If a listing location 411 is too far from a user,the user may not be interested in renting the good or service of thelisting 119 a.

The interface 400 may also include an icon 412 to receive an indicationthat a rental transaction is to be completed. The indication may bereceived through a click or touch of the icon 412 via the interface 400being display on the client device.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary computing environment for implementingthe system 100 and methods 300 and 350, as described herein. As shown inFIG. 5, the computing device 501 includes a processor 502 that iscoupled to an interconnection bus 504. The processor 502 includes aregister set or register space 506, which is depicted in FIG. 5 as beingentirely on-chip, but which could alternatively be located entirely orpartially off-chip and directly coupled to the processor 502 viadedicated electrical connections and/or via the interconnection bus 504.The processor 502 may be any suitable processor, processing unit ormicroprocessor. Although not shown in FIG. 5, the computing device 501may be a multi-processor device and, thus, may include one or moreadditional processors that are identical or similar to the processor 502and that are communicatively coupled to the interconnection bus 504.

The processor 502 of FIG. 5 is coupled to a chipset 508, which includesa memory controller 512 and a peripheral input/output (I/O) controller510. As is well known, a chipset typically provides I/O and memorymanagement functions as well as a plurality of general purpose and/orspecial purpose registers, timers, etc. that are accessible or used byone or more processors coupled to the chipset 508. The memory controller512 performs functions that enable the processor 502 (or processors ifthere are multiple processors) to access a system memory 514 and a massstorage memory 516.

The system memory 514 may include any desired type of volatile and/ornon-volatile memory such as, for example, static random access memory(SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), flash memory, read-onlymemory (ROM), etc. The mass storage memory 516 may include any desiredtype of mass storage device. For example, if the computing device 501 isused to implement a P2P Module 518 having an API 519 (includingfunctions and instructions as described by the methods 300 and 350 ofFIGS. 3a and 3b ), and user interface 520 to receive user input, themass storage memory 516 may include a hard disk drive, an optical drive,a tape storage device, a solid-state memory (a flash memory, a RAMmemory, etc.), a magnetic memory (e.g., a hard drive), or any othermemory suitable for mass storage. In one embodiment, non-transitoryprogram functions, modules and routines (an application 518, an API 519,and the user interface 520, etc.) are stored in mass storage memory 516,loaded into system memory 514, and executed by a processor 502 or can beprovided from computer program products that are stored in tangiblecomputer-readable storage mediums (RAM, hard disk, optical/magneticmedia, etc.). Mass storage 516 may also include a cache memory 521storing application data, user profile data, and timestamp datacorresponding to the application data, and other data for use by theapplication 518.

The peripheral I/O controller 510 performs functions that enable theprocessor 502 to communicate with peripheral input/output (I/O) devices522 and 524, a network interface 526, via a peripheral I/O bus 528. TheI/O devices 522 and 524 may be any desired type of I/O device such as akeyboard, a display (a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube(CRT) display, etc.), a navigation device (a mouse, a trackball, acapacitive touch pad, a joystick, etc.), etc. The I/O devices 522 and524 may be used with the application 518 to provide a peer to peermarketplace for rental transactions as described in relation to thefigures. The local network transceiver 528 may include support for Wi-Finetwork, Bluetooth, Infrared, cellular, or other wireless datatransmission protocols. In other embodiments, one element maysimultaneously support each of the various wireless protocols employedby the computing device 501. For example, a software-defined radio maybe able to support multiple protocols via downloadable instructions. Inoperation, the computing device 501 may be able to periodically poll forvisible wireless network transmitters (both cellular and local network)on a periodic basis. Such polling may be possible even while normalwireless traffic is being supported on the computing device 501. Thenetwork interface 526 may be an Ethernet device, an asynchronoustransfer mode (ATM) device, an 802.11 wireless interface device, a DSLmodem, a cable modem, a cellular modem, etc., that enables the system100 to communicate with another computer system having at least theelements described in relation to the system 100.

While the memory controller 512 and the I/O controller 510 are depictedin FIG. 5 as separate functional blocks within the chipset 508, thefunctions performed by these blocks may be integrated within a singleintegrated circuit or may be implemented using two or more separateintegrated circuits. The system 500 may also implement the userinterface 400 and P2P module 112 on remote computing devices 530 and532. The remote computing devices 530 and 532 may communicate with thecomputing device 501 over a network link 534. For example, the computingdevice 501 may receive listings 119 a created by an applicationexecuting on a remote computing device 530, 532. In some embodiments,the application 518 including the user interface 400 and module 112 maybe retrieved by the computing device 501 from a cloud computing server536 via the Internet 538. When using the cloud computing server 536, theretrieved application 518 may be programmatically linked with thecomputing device 501. The application 518 may be a Java® appletexecuting within a Java® Virtual Machine (JVM) environment resident inthe computing device 501 or the remote computing devices 530, 532. Theapplication 518 may also be “plug-ins” adapted to execute in aweb-browser located on the computing devices 501, 530, and 532. In someembodiments, the application 518 may communicate with backend components540 such as the data system 104 via the Internet 538 or other type ofnetwork.

Using the system 100 and methods 300 and 350 described herein, a P2Pmodule 112 coupled with the methods 300 and 350 may implement a peer topeer marketplace to better service, retain, and expand a customers of aninsurance provider. By providing a collaborative peer to peermarketplace to policyholders, the insurance provider can help customersby providing goods and services which may not normally be available. Thepeer to peer marketplace can also provide an added avenue for sales tothe insurance provider by having transactions insured by the provider.

The following additional considerations apply to the foregoingdiscussion. Throughout this specification, plural instances mayimplement functions, components, operations, or structures described asa single instance. Although individual functions and instructions of oneor more methods are illustrated and described as separate operations,one or more of the individual operations may be performed concurrently,and nothing requires that the operations be performed in the orderillustrated. Structures and functionality presented as separatecomponents in example configurations may be implemented as a combinedstructure or component. Similarly, structures and functionalitypresented as a single component may be implemented as separatecomponents. These and other variations, modifications, additions, andimprovements fall within the scope of the subject matter herein.

For example, the network 106, may include but is not limited to anycombination of a LAN, a MAN, a WAN, a mobile, a wired or wirelessnetwork, a private network, or a virtual private network. Moreover, itis understood that any number of client computers or display devices aresupported and can be in communication with the data system 104.

Additionally, certain embodiments are described herein as includinglogic or a number of functions, components, modules, blocks, ormechanisms. Functions may constitute either software modules (e.g.,non-transitory code stored on a tangible machine-readable storagemedium) or hardware modules. A hardware module is a tangible unitcapable of performing certain operations and may be configured orarranged in a certain manner. In example embodiments, one or morecomputer systems (e.g., a standalone, client or server computer system)or one or more hardware modules of a computer system (e.g., a processoror a group of processors) may be configured by software (e.g., anapplication or application portion) as a hardware module that operatesto perform certain operations as described herein.

In various embodiments, a hardware module may be implementedmechanically or electronically. For example, a hardware module maycomprise dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured(e.g., as a special-purpose processor, such as a field programmable gatearray (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) toperform certain functions. A hardware module may also compriseprogrammable logic or circuitry (e.g., as encompassed within ageneral-purpose processor or other programmable processor) that istemporarily configured by software to perform certain operations. Itwill be appreciated that the decision to implement a hardware modulemechanically, in dedicated and permanently configured circuitry, or intemporarily configured circuitry (e.g., configured by software) may bedriven by cost and time considerations.

Accordingly, the term hardware should be understood to encompass atangible entity, which may be one of an entity that is physicallyconstructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarilyconfigured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain manner or toperform certain operations described herein. Considering embodiments inwhich hardware modules are temporarily configured (e.g., programmed),each of the hardware modules need not be configured or instantiated atany one time. For example, where the hardware modules comprise ageneral-purpose processor configured using software, the general-purposeprocessor may be configured as respective different hardware modules atdifferent times. Software may accordingly configure a processor, forexample, to constitute a particular hardware module at one instance oftime and to constitute a different hardware module at a differentinstance of time.

Hardware and software modules can provide information to, and receiveinformation from, other hardware and/or software modules. Accordingly,the described hardware modules may be regarded as being communicativelycoupled. Where multiple of such hardware or software modules existcontemporaneously, communications may be achieved through signaltransmission (e.g., over appropriate circuits and buses) that connectthe hardware or software modules. In embodiments in which multiplehardware modules or software are configured or instantiated at differenttimes, communications between such hardware or software modules may beachieved, for example, through the storage and retrieval of informationin memory structures to which the multiple hardware or software moduleshave access. For example, one hardware or software module may perform anoperation and store the output of that operation in a memory device towhich it is communicatively coupled. A further hardware or softwaremodule may then, at a later time, access the memory device to retrieveand process the stored output. Hardware and software modules may alsoinitiate communications with input or output devices, and can operate ona resource (e.g., a collection of information).

The various operations of example functions and methods described hereinmay be performed, at least partially, by one or more processors that aretemporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured toperform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily or permanentlyconfigured, such processors may constitute processor-implemented modulesthat operate to perform one or more operations or functions. The modulesreferred to herein may, in some example embodiments, compriseprocessor-implemented modules.

Similarly, the methods or functions described herein may be at leastpartially processor-implemented. For example, at least some of thefunctions of a method may be performed by one or more processors orprocessor-implemented hardware modules. The performance of certain ofthe functions may be distributed among the one or more processors, notonly residing within a single machine, but deployed across a number ofmachines. In some example embodiments, the processor or processors maybe located in a single location (e.g., within a home environment, anoffice environment or as a server farm), while in other embodiments theprocessors may be distributed across a number of locations.

The one or more processors may also operate to support performance ofthe relevant operations in a “cloud computing” environment or as a“software as a service” (SaaS). For example, at least some of thefunctions may be performed by a group of computers (as examples ofmachines including processors). These operations are accessible via anetwork (e.g., the Internet) and via one or more appropriate interfaces(e.g., application program interfaces (APIs)).

The performance of certain operations may be distributed among the oneor more processors, not only residing within a single machine, butdeployed across a number of machines. In some example embodiments, theone or more processors or processor-implemented modules may be locatedin a single geographic location (e.g., within a home environment, anoffice environment, or a server farm). In other example embodiments, theone or more processors or processor-implemented modules may bedistributed across a number of geographic locations.

Some portions of this specification are presented in terms of algorithmsor symbolic representations of operations on data and data structuresstored as bits or binary digital signals within a machine memory (e.g.,a computer memory). These algorithms or symbolic representations areexamples of techniques used by those of ordinary skill in the dataprocessing arts to convey the substance of their work to others skilledin the art. As used herein, a “function” or an “algorithm” or a“routine” is a self-consistent sequence of operations or similarprocessing leading to a desired result. In this context, functions,algorithms, routines and operations involve physical manipulation ofphysical quantities. Typically, but not necessarily, such quantities maytake the form of electrical, magnetic, or optical signals capable ofbeing stored, accessed, transferred, combined, compared, or otherwisemanipulated by a machine. It is convenient at times, principally forreasons of common usage, to refer to such signals using words such as“data,” “content,” “bits,” “values,” “elements,” “symbols,”“characters,” “terms,” “numbers,” “numerals,” or the like. These words,however, are merely convenient labels and are to be associated withappropriate physical quantities.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, discussions herein using wordssuch as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,”“presenting,” “displaying,” or the like may refer to actions orprocesses of a machine (e.g., a computer) that manipulates or transformsdata represented as physical (e.g., electronic, magnetic, or optical)quantities within one or more memories (e.g., volatile memory,non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof), registers, or othermachine components that receive, store, transmit, or displayinformation.

As used herein any reference to “some embodiments” or “one embodiment”or “an embodiment” means that a particular element, feature, structure,or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment isincluded in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “inone embodiment” in various places in the specification are notnecessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

Some embodiments may be described using the expression “coupled” and“connected” along with their derivatives. For example, some embodimentsmay be described using the term “coupled” to indicate that two or moreelements are in direct physical or electrical contact. The term“coupled,” however, may also mean that two or more elements are not indirect contact with each other, but yet still co-operate or interactwith each other. The embodiments are not limited in this context.

As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,”“including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, areintended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a function,process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elementsis not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include otherelements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method,article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary,“or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example,a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true(or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or notpresent) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (orpresent).

In addition, use of the “a” or “an” are employed to describe elementsand components of the embodiments herein. This is done merely forconvenience and to give a general sense of the description. Thisdescription should be read to include one or at least one and thesingular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meantotherwise.

Still further, the figures depict preferred embodiments of a computersystem 100 for purposes of illustration only. One of ordinary skill inthe art will readily recognize from the following discussion thatalternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated hereinmay be employed without departing from the principles described herein.

Upon reading this disclosure, those of skill in the art will appreciatestill additional alternative structural and functional designs for asystem and a process for creating and maintaining a collaborative peerto peer marketplace through the disclosed principles herein. Thus, whileparticular embodiments and applications have been illustrated anddescribed, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are notlimited to the precise construction and components disclosed herein.Various modifications, changes and variations, which will be apparent tothose skilled in the art, may be made in the arrangement, operation anddetails of the method and apparatus disclosed herein without departingfrom the spirit and scope defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed:
 1. A computer-implemented method for creating andmaintaining a collaborative peer to peer marketplace by an insuranceprovider, the method comprising: implementing a peer-to-peer (P2P)policy module as software as a service (SaaS) on one or more processors,the P2P module implemented at least partially on a back-end server andat least partially on one or more smart phones, the P2P module includingan application programming interface (API) portion executing on theback-end server, and the P2P module further including a client portionexecuting on the one or more smart phones, wherein the client portionaccesses the back-end server via the API portion through a computernetwork; receiving, via a computer network from the client portion ofthe P2P module from a first client device, media in the form of a photo,a video or an audio file; generating, by executing instructions of theP2P module via the one or more processors of the back-end server, alisting for a household good or service to be offered for rent in thepeer to peer marketplace based on information extracted from thereceived media and other data, wherein the household good or servicedoes not include a vehicle or a dwelling, wherein the listing includes arental cost, a category, a length of rental including dates ofavailability, and one or more of (i) a name of the household good orservice for rent, (ii) a description of the household good or servicefor rent, (iii) media related to the household good or service for rent,(iv) a location of the household good or service for rent, or (v) asubcategory, and wherein the listing category can be one of an exchangeor a skill share; generating, by executing instructions of the P2Pmodule via the one or more processors of the back-end server, aninsurance policy quote for an insurance policy to cover a rentaltransaction of the household good or service offered in the listing,wherein generating the insurance policy quote includes: analyzing datarelated to the household good or service offered in the listing,comparing the received listing to one or more similar listings in alisting repository maintained by the insurance provider, wherein the oneor more similar listings are for similar same household goods orservices as the household good or service from the received listing, andautomatically deducting the insurance policy from the rental cost of thelisting; storing, in a database communicatively coupled to the P2Pmodule of the back-end server, the listing in the listing repositorymaintained by the insurance provider; receiving, via a computer networkfrom the client portion of the P2P module from a second client device, asearch category; determining, by the P2P module via the one or moreprocessors of the back-end server, one or more listings in the listingrepository are pertinent by: (i) comparing a location of the secondclient device to the location of the household good or service for rentof each of the one more listings, and (ii) comparing the category ofeach listing to the received search category; presenting, via a userinterface on the client portion of the P2P module on the second clientdevice, the one or more determined pertinent listings; receiving, viathe user interface on the client portion of the P2P module from thesecond client device, the rental transaction of one or more of thedetermined pertinent listings, wherein receiving the rental transactionincludes receiving a payment of the rental cost which includes the costof the insurance policy to cover the rental transaction, wherein theinsurance policy of the rental transaction is provided by the insuranceprovider; and automatically sending a notification of the rentaltransaction including a payment to the client portion of the P2P moduleon the first client device.
 2. The computer-implemented method of claim1, wherein the listing further includes a username or a star rating, andwherein the media related to the household good or service for rentincludes one or more of a photo, a video, or an audio file.
 3. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a listing can be awanted listing.
 4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, furthercomprising receiving, via a computer network from the client portion ofthe P2P module from the first client device, a login to identify acustomer profile to be associated with the listing.
 5. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the P2P module isinstalled as part of an application on the one or more smartphones.
 6. Acollaborative peer to peer market system, the system comprising: aback-end server; and a peer-to-peer (P2P) module implemented as softwareas a service (SaaS) and configured to execute on one or more processors,the P2P module configured to execute at least partially on the back-endserver and at least partially on one or more smart phones, the P2Pmodule including an application programming interface (API) portionconfigured to execute on the back-end server, and the P2P module furtherincluding a client portion configured to execute on the one or moresmart phones, wherein the client portion is configured to access theback-end server via the API portion through a computer network, the P2Pmodule configured to: receive, from the client portion of the P2P modulefrom a first client device, media in the form of a photo, a video or anaudio file; generate a listing for a household good or service to beoffered for rent in the peer to peer marketplace based on informationextracted from the received media and other data, wherein the householdgood or service does not include a vehicle or a dwelling, wherein thelisting includes a rental cost, a category, a length of rental includingdates of availability, and one or more of (i) a name of the householdgood or service for rent, (ii) a description of the household good orservice for rent, (iii) media related to the household good or servicefor rent, (iv) a location of the household good or service for rent, or(v) a subcategory, and wherein the listing category can be one of anexchange or a skill share; generate an insurance policy quote for aninsurance policy to cover a rental transaction of the household good orservice offered in the listing, wherein generating the insurance policyquote includes: analyzing data related to the household good or serviceoffered in the listing, comparing the received listing to one or moresimilar listings in a listing repository maintained by the insuranceprovider, wherein the one or more similar listings are for similarhousehold goods or services as the household good or service from thereceived listing, and automatically deducting the insurance policy fromthe rental cost of the listing; store the listing in the listingrepository maintained by the insurance provider communicatively coupledto the P2P module on the back-end server; receive from the clientportion of the P2P module from a second client device a search category;determine one or more listings in the listing repository are pertinentby: (i) comparing a location of the second client device to the locationof the household good or service for rent of each of the one morelistings, and (ii) comparing the category of each listing to thereceived search category; present, via a user interface on the clientportion of the P2P module on the second client device, the one or moredetermined pertinent listings; receive the rental transaction of one ormore of the determined pertinent listings from the client portion of theP2P module on the second client device, wherein receiving the rentaltransaction includes receiving a payment of the rental cost whichincludes the cost of the insurance policy to cover the rentaltransaction, wherein the insurance policy of the rental transaction isprovided by the insurance provider; and automatically send anotification of the rental transaction including a payment to the clientportion of the P2P module on the first client device.
 7. Thecomputer-system of claim 6, wherein the listing further includes ausername or a star rating, and wherein the media related to thehousehold good or service for rent includes one or more of a photo, avideo, or an audio file.
 8. The computer-system of claim 6, wherein alisting can be a wanted listing.
 9. The computer-system of claim 6,further comprising receiving, via a computer network from the clientportion of the P2P module from the first client device, a login toidentify a customer profile to be associated with the listing.
 10. Thecomputer-system of claim 6, wherein the P2P module is installed as partof an application on the one or more smartphones.
 11. A tangiblecomputer-readable medium including non-transitory computer readableinstructions stored thereon for creating and maintaining a collaborativepeer to peer market place by an insurance provider, the instructions to:implement a peer-to-peer (P2P) module implemented as software as aservice (SaaS) and configured to execute on one or more processors, theP2P module configured to execute at least partially on a back-end serverand at least partially on one or more smart phones, the P2P moduleincluding an application programming interface (API) portion configuredto execute on the back-end server, and the P2P module further includinga client portion configured to execute on the one or more smart phones,wherein the client portion is configured to access the back-end servervia the API portion through a computer network; receive, from the clientportion of the P2P module from a first client device, media in the formof a photo, a video or an audio file; generate, by executinginstructions of the P2P module, a listing for a household good orservice to be offered for rent in the peer to peer marketplace based oninformation extracted from the received media and other data, wherein ahousehold good or service does not include a vehicle or a dwelling,wherein the listing includes a rental cost, a category, a length ofrental including dates of availability, and one or more of (i) a name ofthe household good or service for rent, (ii) a description of thehousehold good or service for rent, (iii) media related to the householdgood or service for rent, (iv) a location of the household good orservice for rent, or (v) a subcategory, and wherein the listing categorycan be one of an exchange or a skill share; generate, by executinginstructions of the P2P module, an insurance policy quote for aninsurance policy to cover a rental transaction of the household good orservice offered in the listing, wherein generating the insurance policyquote includes: analyzing data related to the household good or serviceoffered in the listing, comparing the received listing to one or moresimilar listings in a listing repository maintained by the insuranceprovider, wherein the one or more similar listings are for similarhousehold goods or services as the household good or service from thereceived listing, and automatically deducting the insurance policy fromthe rental cost of the listing; store the listing in the listingrepository maintained by the insurance provider communicatively coupledto the P2P module on the back-end server; receive from the clientportion of the P2P module from a second client device a search category;determine, by the P2P module, one or more listings in the listingrepository are pertinent by: (i) comparing a location of the secondclient device to the location of the household good or service for rentof each of the one more listings, and (ii) comparing the category ofeach listing to the received search category; present, via a userinterface on the client portion of the P2P module on the second clientdevice, the one or more determined pertinent listings; and receive therental transaction of one or more of the determined pertinent listingsfrom the client portion of the P2P module on the second client device,wherein receiving the rental transaction includes receiving a payment ofthe rental cost which includes the cost of the insurance policy to coverthe rental transaction, wherein the insurance policy of the rentaltransaction is provided by the insurance provider; and automaticallysend a notification of the rental transaction including a payment to theclient portion of the P2P module on the first client device.
 12. Thetangible computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the listingfurther includes a username or a star rating, and wherein the mediarelated to the household good or service for rent includes one or moreof a photo, a video, or an audio file.
 13. The tangiblecomputer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein a listing can be a wantedlisting.
 14. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 11, furthercomprising receiving, via a computer network from the client portion ofthe P2P module from the first client device, a login to identify acustomer profile to be associated with the listing.